Chapter 4

Fiona Kieffer ran to her friend as she was about to step onto the porch in front of the church. “Becky! I was so worried about you. How are you feeling dear?”

“Thank you, Fi. I’m feeling much better now.” She replied with a weak smile. She returned her hug. “It was just an evil bug.”

Fiona was still concerned Becky may have pushed herself to this meeting prematurely. She certainly appeared both tired and ill. “Becky, I can manage the meeting if you are not up to it.”

“No!” Beck responded somewhat sharply. She absolutely had to do this. She realized her response surprised her friend. “I mean, I am really fine. I appreciate your concern.”

It was Friday and the appointed time for the monthly meeting of the Stillwater Ladies Auxiliary over which Becky presided. It as also four days since Pastor Grey had laid out the terms to which she must comply so as not to ruin her marriage and her life. This was her first trip back to town since that day in her barn where she was defiled for the second time. She had put this visit off as long as she could but she dared not miss the meeting her blackmailer demanded she make. She had several restless nights dreading her return to town and back to the clutches of her tormentor.

That day in the barn Jason Grey, she found it difficult to think of him as a pastor any longer, had done something unimaginable to her. She had never done such acts even wither husband, Thomas. Jason forced her to perform fellatio, as Cochran had, but he deposited his sperm in her mouth and made her swallow the bitter spend. It was humiliating, Becky had no concept that someone would demand something that demeaning of a woman. Physically it was disgusting. She gagged and ended up further humiliated by vomiting in the horse stall while he laughed at her.

He told her, like the whiskey she first tasted a week ago, cum was an acquired taste but she would soon be an expert in its flavor nuance. She knew his plans for her included her doing this again and it filled her with dread. Her greater fear was that she now understood how evil and perverted this man was and did not know what other debauchery he may demand of her.

The irony was after feigning illness last Sunday to avoid Jason, now she sincerely felt ill as she entered the church. This used to be her sanctuary and would bring her peace as she entered. Now it brought nothing but dread, but to save her marriage and children she had no other options.

The meeting had gone well until Rochelle Samuels suggested it as time to schedule another protest at the saloon. “It’s been several months since our last picket. I believe we managed to chase off a few cowboys and lowlifes from entering last time just by our very presence. We kept our signs and could add a few more.”

Becky needed to find a way to dissuade the ladies from doing this. She had to stay in the good graces of Randall Cochran. “I think our time may be better served if we tried concentrating on youth services.”

Rochelle pressed “But that place is corrupting our youth! We need to fight the evil there. All the women in that place are trollops and should be run out of town.”

Becky shivered remembering she was included in the trollops of that place just a week ago when she was forced to betray her marriage vows. “Our new pastor has expressed a desire to try a novel approach with the Paradise Saloon. He believes a dose of love and empathy may be more effective in getting them to accept our Lord.”

For a full minute, no one in the meeting spoke and looked at Becky like she had just grown horns.

Dorothy Hanks broke the silence. “But they are evil people!”

“Are they?” asked Pastor Grey as he walked into the meeting. “Did not Jesus challenge those who were without sin to cast the first stone?” All heads turned as he appeared in the door of the church. “Mrs. Hanks, what lesson was our Lord teaching us? One should not judge lest ye be judged. I would best serve our God by bringing sinners into his light rather than driving them further from his presence.”

His words cut Dorothy deeply and she was shamed to realize her pastor was justified in chastising her failed view of true piety. “I am sorry, Pastor. I understand how wrong I am in my prejudice.”

The other ladies were all similarly cowled at the Pastor’s words and saw the wisdom in them. Becky was relieved for the assistance in diverting the ladies from their mission against the Paradise, despite her inner terror at the appearance of her blackmailer. “Well, I think we have much to consider for the next meeting. I would like to adjourn until then.”

The ladies one by one bid their goodbyes to the Pastor whose words truly moved them. After they were alone Becky said “You certainly have a gift for bullshit. If I didn’t know what an animal you really are, I might have also been impressed by that speech.”